THE TREASURE

by Alice Gray

The cheerful girl with bouncy golden curls was almost five

Waiting with her mother at the checkout stand, she saw

them: a circle of glistening white pearls in a pink foil box.

"Oh please, Mommy. Can I have them?

Please, Mommy, please!"

Quickly the mother checked the back of the little foil box

and then looked back into the pleading blue eyes of her little

girl's upturned face.

"A dollar ninety-five.  That's almost $2.00

If you really want them, I'll think of some extra chores for

you and in no time you can save enough money to buy them

for yourself.  Your birthday's only a week away and you might

get another crisp dollar bill from Grandma."

As soon as Jenny got home, she emptied her penny bank and

counted out 17 pennies. After dinner, she did more than her

share of chores and she went to the neighbor and asked Mrs.

McJames if she could pick dandelions for ten cents.

On her birthday, Grandma did give her another new

dollar bill and at last she had enough money to buy the

necklace.

Jenny loved her pearls.  They made her feel dressed up and

grown up.  She wore them everywhere - Sunday school,

 kindergarten, even to bed.  The only time she took them off

was when she went swimming or had a bubble bath.  Mother

said if they got wet, they might turn her neck green.

Jenny had a very loving daddy and every night when she was

ready for bed, he would stop whatever he was doing and come

upstairs to read her a story.

One night when he finished the story, he asked Jenny,

"Do you love me?"

"Oh yes, Daddy.  You know that I love you."

"Then give me your pearls."

"Oh, Daddy, not my pearls.

But you can have Princess - the white horse from my

collection. The one with the pink tail.  Remember, Daddy?  The

 one you gave me. She's my favorite."

"That's okay, Honey." Daddy loves you.  Good night."

And he brushed her cheek with a kiss.

About a week later, after the story time,

Jenny's daddy asked again,

"Do you love me?"

"Daddy, you know I love you."

"Then give me your pearls."

"Oh Daddy, not my pearls.

But you can have my babydoll.

The brand new one I got for my birthday.

She is so beautiful and you can have the yellow blanket

that matches her sleeper."

"That's okay. Sleep well.  God bless you, little one.

Daddy loves you."  And as always,

he brushed her cheek with a gentle kiss.

A few nights later when her daddy came in,

Jenny was sitting on her bed with her legs crossed Indian-style.  As

 he came close, he noticed her chin was trembling and one silent

 tear rolled down her cheek.

"What is it, Jenny? What's the matter?"

Jenny didn't say anything but lifted her little hand up to her

daddy. And when she opened it, there was her little pearl necklace.

 With a little quiver, she finally said,

"Here, Daddy. It's for you."

With tears gathering in his own eyes,

Jenny's kind daddy reached out with one hand to take the

dime-store necklace, and with the other hand he reached

into his pocket and pulled out a blue velvet case with a

strand of genuine pearls and gave them to Jenny.

He had had them all the time.  He was just waiting for her

to give up the dime-store stuff so he could give her genuine

 treasure.

So like our Heavenly Father.

 What are you hanging on to?